Cherry Blossoms
by xrictusemprax
Summary: … Myth also had it that only when innocent blood was shed onto the grounds of the graveyard, did the tree shed a tender, rosy petal. Just one petal...
1. Order 01: Folklore

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters and I am not selling my stories.

**Author's Note: **Yes, this is some odd thing Wendy thought up (yeah, and I figured out the whole plot, hahaha! . Thanks for the inspiration though!) and I decided to write. Yeah, some insights to Severus' sad, sad life and a tragic death …

The plot is hidden somewhere in my notebook. Yes, I have a notebook. Oh, and mind the fact that it says Draco died in 1997—I'm writing in the Harry Potter times, so it's still the 90's. Mellow, mellow… Half-Blood Prince spoilers!

**Pairings: **Severus/Narcissa.

**Characters: **Severus, Narcissa, and Lucius. Oooo, love triangle? Quite, but not quite.

**Rating: **T.

**Summary: **… Myth also had it that only when innocent blood was shed onto the grounds of the graveyard, did the tree shed a tender, rosy petal. Just one petal.

Cherry Blossoms Order 01: Folklore

_There was constant murmur within the village of how malevolent spirits stalked the cemetery in the dark, murky depths of the night. Grim gray shadows were seen without physical being to cast them—a swirl of white flashed ominously—the trees rustled without wind to manipulate their dead branches. The ground was sprawled with what looked like crimson, especially around a particularly out-of-place cherry blossom tree. The violent pinks were a disgrace to the gloomy and deceased color of its surrounding. Myth had it that many men had tried chopping it down but all were murdered twenty-four hours later with failed attempts to rid the cemetery of the brutally shaded tree. Myth also had it that only when innocent blood was shed onto the grounds of the graveyard, did the tree shed a tender, rosy petal. Just one petal._

A hooded figure in lifeless colors of gray and black lightly walked over the dim rocks adorning a very thin, dull pathway. The figure's footsteps were not at all heard, perhaps muffled by the gravel upon which he stepped evenly over. The hooded man walked off the pathway and gently walked over the ground, almost as if trying to preserve the last bits of dusty, clumpy grass that had been trotted over countless times and were deprived of sunlight. He stopped before a tombstone that read:

Draco Malfoy

1980 – 1997

The words were neatly etched into the rock in a cursive font that stood out from the other headstones. Moss grew faintly around the edges of the soft curves that confined the rock.

The hooded man lowered his charcoal-black hood as a large clock miles away struck midnight with chimes of the greatest despair. His eyes were gray and narrowed slightly, accompanied by long, dark eyelashes. The complexion of his face was that of somebody who had not seen sunlight in a long time, cooped up in dark dungeons or fatal towers that only moonlight seemed to reach. He had a crooked nose that was slightly overlarge for his face, and rosy petal-like lips that were parted ever so slightly. Long, wispy blonde hair fluttered in a soft night breeze as he lowered himself onto his knees and placed pale, milky hands onto the tombstone.

Minutes passed as this man sat carefully, hands gripping the dark gray granite. When he finally let go, it was to wipe away a trickling tear that had wound its way out of his steely eyes.

The man thought of his beautiful son—his heir, the only one who'd ever read into his emotional scars left behind from battles, the only one who'd comprehend with his desolation and grief. Lucius Malfoy was only understood by the dead. His father and mother had died, leaving him with a cheap wife and a blessing of a boy. Alas, blessings were extinguished with a whisper of wind—Narcissa was the only one left alive for Lucius now. She was worse then having nothing, having no one.

A very faint rustle drew the man's attention away from the tombstone and onto two, puny sauntering figures that were walking directly towards him.


	2. Order 02: Remorse

Order 02: Remorse

Lucius pulled out a blackening rose out of his heavy drapes of robes and kissed it quickly. He laid it down onto the ground, right beside the tombstone and took off at a hastened pace to the vast cherry blossom tree and sat against its trunk.

"_Oh, but Severus … do be reasonable! I do not see why we must proceed with the plan! After all, Draco is dead and the Dark Lord is satisfied, or so it seems … I find that his recent imploration is … well, not very reasonable!" came a female's voice swiftly, as she and a man dressed in black from head to toe approached Draco's tombstone. The woman had on a violet dress that curled delicately around her tall, black heels. Her long hair was pale and shone in the iridescent moonlight._

_A soft scoff was heard and the man who was accompanying her spoke harshly though in soft monotones, "Narcissa, do think about what a mistake we made upon making the Vow. I should not have been so foolish—we both should have seen that once a mission was set for somebody in particular by the Dark Lord, that person was expected to fulfill his duties. Draco did not do as the Dark Lord asked. This is vengeance."  
"Upon the innocent—don't blame him for such stupid things!" she shrieked hysterically, "What happened two years ago happened and no one should die because of a stupid little orb containing words!" Narcissa had a tone of frenzy lacing her voice brutally. " Why not you? Why is it that you have a mission in murdering—"_

"_Narcissa!" Severus interrupted, his charcoal black eyes narrowing as he glared at her dangerously. 'You are the one who should have been set such a mission, you foolish woman! There is no way I can possibly do what the Dark Lord begs. I have known him for far too long, he is far too close to my heart."_

_Narcissa huffed and crossed her arms, challenging Severus with a hard glare from her twinkling blue eyes. "There is nothing for you here, Severus. You must complete the task, or … I do not wish to think of the consequences."_

_A clear silence followed this, the merest cricket chirp shattering it in a million shards. "I see what you mean," the man said lowly, sweeping back curtains of midnight-black shoulder-length hair, "but there is always the option of death for me … I suppose that would be noble … that would be_ right_ …"_

"_No, you won't!" Narcissa cried out painfully, grasping Severus' shoulders with both of her hands. "Lucius died three months ago! From the second he found out his son was deceased, a part of him crumbled terribly! I have no one but you! YOU CANNOT LEAVE ME!" _

_Severus looked rather untouched by these words; though he did not speak, he brought a hand to her curly, blonde hair. Running it through the forest of shimmering locks, he hissed, "I love Lucius as much as you do, just in different terms. He is my best friend—my _only_ friend. Lucius was there for me when no one else was. He saw me for more than just an outcast of a teenager—he didn't side with that bloody Potter and his gang. I simply cannot repay his loyalty to me by murdering him."_

"_He would rather have himself murdered than you, Severus … please, hear me out … I don't want to die alone," Narcissa's eyes welled with tears, "but if you do not stay, I shall." Black tears streamed down her face, smudging the precisely applied makeup._

_Severus turned his nose up in disgust. "I would die for him, Narcissa. Love of a mere kind such as ours will not prevent me from doing what I initially planned to do. I will walk away."_

_Narcissa buried her face in her fragile, thin hands and bawled loudly. Her shoulders shook with each heart-drenching sob; her breath got caught in her throat as she tried to stem the tears._

"_Sev … er… us…" she sobbed, wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her pained face into the crook of his neck. "… I think I … love you …"_

_The man's blood ran cold as he gasped quietly. No one had ever spoken such words as these, no one … not even his mother … she never really concerned her superior self to wonder what was wrong with her son when he spent hours in the washroom, wearing cuts all over his wrists when he came out; she allowed his father to beat him unconscious, leaving the boy floating in a puddle of his own blood on the dungeon floors …_

_Yet now, now … someone told him the three words he had expected with false hope all his life. It felt wrong and shallow—of all people to tell him, his best friend's wife had. Guilt clouded his mind excruciatingly, obscuring his senses._

_Narcissa lifted her head and peered into his black eyes. She hesitated a moment, then she met their lips in a soft kiss. _


	3. Order 03: Demise

Order 03: Demise

Lucius was watching the couple entwine intimately and he felt a brick fall into the pits of his stomach. They were … together … and his best friend was going to kill him … that, or die for him.

His hands ached from being pressed onto the knobby trunk of the lush tree and his brain throbbed as it paced to absorb all the new information that was being thrown about carelessly.

He watched with tear-encrusted eyes, grayness of the irises painfully pronounced. His lips were shades pinker while his hair fell to his shoulders limply, lifelessly.

Lucius watched the two break apart like puzzle pieces that… _fit_. Her light skin in contrast to his sallow flesh was desirable; curly, lush blonde hair entangled with charcoal-black was a beautiful dissimilarity, and her perfection placed against his flaws was delusional though priceless.

The man did not see such things when he stood next to his wife. The only thing the mirror reflected was cold perfection. It left his veins pumping slush.

"_Severus, my love …" Narcissa breathed, "I feel most abashed. Imagine Lucius knew—imagine he was to find out about _us_ …"_

_The man beside her inhaled deeply and sighed. He did not speak but frowned, as if contemplating something that required total concentration. When he uttered words, they were empty. "Well, no matter who dies in our bloody affair, you will always have one of us to choose. Though you may prefer me over Lucius—and I do not see why … he was always the chosen one when it came down to women—you might not get to keep me. I was not yours initially. Lucius was, however, and I think it best that you go back to him. Living two lives does not add onto life, Narcissa. Instead, it takes away."_

_Narcissa clutched the cold man's robes and bawled into his chest, her tears coming out silently, forming puddles on her flawless cheeks. She did not know that a human being could cause her such grief … such agony … "Put me out of my pain, Severus; I'm begging you."_

_Snape did not speak again. Gingerly, he raised a hand to her shoulder and patted it softly while whispering soothing words._

Lucius rose to his feet, finding he was terribly unstable. Once he remembered how to walk, he set off at a quick pace towards the two dismayed lovers. Neither noticed a shady figure approaching them in their entanglement of misery. It was only when he stood a foot away from them, tears pouring down his face like an uneven rainstorm did Severus look up, dark eyes widening with shock. A gasp escaped his heart-shaped lips.

"I'll put you out of your pain, Narcissa." Lucius' voice cut like a razor blade through the tear-streaked silence. The woman looked up, her mouth agape and brow furrowed softly.

"_Lucius_, oh… Lucius, I'm so sorry!" she quietly whispered, crumbling to her knees in front of the man. He gazed at her coldly, metallic eyes narrowed with malice.

No one said anything as she cried passionately, her fists balling the ends of Lucius' dark robes into her hands. Instead of words, glares of ice were exchanged between the two men.

"I trusted you," Lucius stated defiantly, words pronouncing strength he did not feel within.

Severus scoffed and glued his eyes to the ground. He spoke several seconds later, with an annoying drawl. "I know you did. I shall repay your trust by dying for you," he paused as Narcissa gave a very loud sob, her head resting on Lucius' polished shoes, "as I'm sure any noble friend would."  
Lucius snarled venomously, shaking his head to show displeasure. "I do not ask my friends to die for me. Instead, while they are alive, perhaps they could show respect and not betray the trust I _kindly_ placed in them."

"I didn't mean to!" Severus hinted impatience for the first time, "Honestly—I didn't want to take Narcissa away from you, as she's the only person alive you care about—"

"I don't care about her!" Lucius roared, shaking Narcissa off him vigorously. Once he stood some two feet away from the distressed woman bawling into the grass, he continued calmly, "It's not a matter of who I have alive, Severus—no one understands me—it's a matter of initial trust. She's my wife, cheap or not. I suspected you'd understand that. Alas, I was wrong … like the so many times I was wrong about you, my _friend_."

Severus reached into his robes and brought out a silver object. It glinted painfully in the murky moonlight, as Lucius understood what he was holding carefully in his right hand—a knife.

"Please, allow me." He hissed, beetle-black eyes fixed upon Lucius, who drew his wand.

"You will not die." The blonde man shook his head and forcefully said, "I am as good as dead. In mere months, you shall mourn the loss of a man you once thought you knew. Kill _me_."

Severus was motionless, the sliver of metal gripped in his hand so that his knuckles were turning white. His face was a pale gray suddenly, and Lucius could have sworn the man across him would be sick. However, his eyes were contrasted against his pale skin beautifully. He raised the knife slowly in trembling hands. "No."

Lucius charged at him, knocking the shaking man backwards. The knife slipped out of his sweaty hands and Lucius took it quickly, cutting himself deeply in the process. He pinned the suddenly child-like body beneath him and clutched the fatal weapon.

"Yes."

A soft sob was heard as Narcissa got up from the floor and kneeled down next to Lucius. "Please, Lucius … I _implore_ you …"

"TO DO WHAT?" he slipped his wand back into his robes tentatively with is free hand. "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?"

Narcissa shrieked as the scene blurred in front of her eyes—a moment ago, Lucius was on top of Severus and now he threw her down, the knife positioned at her throat. His hands were brutally trembling as crystal tears streamed down his face. "I won't kill you, Narcissa. I just want to know what it is you wish for me to do? Do you want me to take the knife to my own throat so you can be with your filthy lover? Is that it?" he spat angrily, "Or do you want me to plunge the knife into his heart?" Lucius dug his nails into her pristine skin. "Listen very closely to this, because I'm only saying it once: _you are bound to me by marriage. Once I die, you are free to be with other men. However, while my heart pumps, you are to be faithful._"

Behind them, Severus stood up, robes filthy with dirt. He placed a hand on Lucius' shoulder and led the other to the man's hand, in hopes of calming him. "Please, be reasonable. There is no reason for anyone to die tonight."

"YOU SAID THERE WAS!" Lucius bellowed, face inches away from Severus'. "Filthy liar."

Narcissa muttered softly, "Please, listen to _him _… Severus knows what he's saying!"

In his epitome of anger, Lucius slashed his right hand quickly. Before he could open his mouth to scream about how Severus was _always right_, there were two screams that shook the cemetery and a squirt of crimson.

Lucius' eyes darted around as he realized, with a bang that knocked him backwards onto Severus, what he'd done. His hands were bloody and red, knife tinted the same color. There was a small stream of blood trickling from Narcissa's throat, where a very deep line was etched into the pale, silky skin.

The frantic man looked at Severus, who was shaking beyond control; he looked back at Narcissa and saw the blood was pouring onto the ground.

Lucius had done what he said he would—_"I'll put you out of your pain, Narcissa."_

A soft rustle drew both men's attention to the fierce, pink cheery blossom tree. With a shudder, the branches shook softly and _one_ pink, lush leaf fell to the ground.

Fin.


End file.
